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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Must Remember!

At the end of each chapter of "I Don't Know How She Does It" (my new most quotable book, even though I didn't actually like the book that much), the protagonist makes a list of all the things she needs to remember. This is something I absolutely do too. This is what my list would look like right now:

MUST REMEMBER:

Pay daycare. Leave check for cleaning service. Buy candle for pumpkin. Remember breastpump. Refill breastpump bags. Pack bottles of milk for morning. Need more bottle labels. Take milk out of freezer when get home so it defrosts in time. Make lunch for tomorrow. Pack and run dishwasher. Three more doses of amoxicillin for Mel. Birthday party on Sunday, must buy present. And wrapping paper. Meeting with mentee Saturday, must pick her up. Dance class for Mel on Saturday. Laundry out of control, must do a wash. Must sew Mel's costume, which is ripped from repeated pre-Halloween wearings. Help decorate for work Halloween party. Speak to someone about broken computer at work. Remember snack for Mel for drive home or else will cry. Pumpkin pie - bake or buy!

That list is running through my head all the time. And it doesn't even include the patient-related stuff. Maybe that's part of why I feel like I've been SO forgetful lately.

Yesterday was a prime example of my forgetfulness. I arrived at work and was horrified to realize I forgot my breastmilk bags, so I had nothing to pump into. I figured at this point, I should just drive to the daycare to feed her personally. When I arrived at the daycare, I discovered a note saying that I was behind on my payments. (This is not entirely my fault because they don't tell you how much you owe for the month, so I just estimate and sometimes the money runs out before the month ends.) But anyway, I realized I forgot to replace the spare checks in my wallet, so I couldn't pay them. It was an epic fail day.

Then I got out of work early and took this amazing opportunity to run to the grocery store. Two things I really needed at the grocery store were cheese and a candle for our pumpkin. After buying a bunch of things and walking out of the store, I discovered I had managed to forget both these things. Sheesh.

I'm hoping this is all a matter of having too much to remember and perhaps fatigue rather than really early Alzheimer's.

It really does seem that as the "free time" of kids gets tied up in organized activities, our need for lists increases exponentially. I remember my "schedule" as a kid:School, come home, play, run spelling words with Mom, watch Rin Tin Tin, dinner, run spelling words again, read, bed.

My husband gives me a good natured hard time about the lists that I post on the steering wheel of my car. There nothing and nobody can cover them up with something else...and now I never forget things that I am supposed to load into the car for the day.

I've had days like this. Or I can't sleep because I'm thinking/worrying about all the stuff I need to do/buy. I find that if I put all my stuff into an errands-type application on my phone, I can rest easier and remember all the stuff I needed/wanted. Assuming I remember to check the app. :)

So true. The best part with me is that I am restless till i make the to do list and after i am done, i get so relaxed that i forget to see the list at times. Oh! And the grocery list routinely sits at home while i am searching it in the store!Am really happy to have discovered this blog while on my maternity leave. I follow it regularly and i must say, i thoroughly enjoy all the posts. Thank you all. :)

I do believe in "motherbrain" which a friend described as feeling as though your brain was removed from your body, kicked a few times, and reinstalled after a 45 degree rotation. I actually got interested in this after I saw two good students fail their exams because they insisted on taking them within a month after giving birth. To my surprise, I found the research literature poohpoohed the whole idea, much as thirty years ago scientists considered post partum depression to be an old wives tale. I can provide a detailed critique of that literature, but this is not the place. But we do need to take mild cognitive impairment seriously--whether it is from overload, sleep deprivation or the direct effect of hormones, it still can cause real trouble for us and for the people who depend on us. Long live lists!

my friend makes very cute vinyl toys called ORGAN DONORS. they are used to raise awareness for the importance of becoming an organ donor. I thought you would appreciate them and pass them along. Samantha

Not only me, but my elmentary student son feels he is so forgetful. Things they require from kids that have nothing to do with education are ridiculous these days. I comfort him with my own forgetfullness tales, and remind that we all do too much. Wait till the school begins, then they will load you with weekly lists to do from crafts/"projects" to supplies that they lack in public school. Before I went to my oversees trip (24 hours one way) I ran laps and laps daily to fill my third grader's science results log with heart rate measurements. I must say at least with this one I improved my stamina.

We should all be easier on ourselves and have some perspective. Forgetting those things should not be seen as "failures." We are overworked and overextended....so this stuff will happen. Don't give yourself additional stress by berating yourself!

Mothers in Medicine is a group blog by physician-mothers, writing about the unique challenges and joys of tending to two distinct patient populations, both of whom can be quite demanding. We are on call every. single. day.

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